1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) cable assembly with LEDs suitable for panel mounting. More specifically, this invention relates to a SAS panel mount connector cable assembly for providing access to resources of a plurality of target hard-drives to multiple hosts, where LEDs are used for activity and fault-detection.
2. Background Art
Increased demand for bandwidth and storage requirements in computer networks have recently led to the widespread employment of SAS drives for data management at Information Technology (IT) centers. SAS offers the advantages of the speed and size improvements in Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) technology, coupled with the reliability of parallel Small Computer System Interface (SCSI). Expanders in SAS also allow for support of 214 or 16384 devices, and thereby, multiple hosts and targets may be linked.
Another major advantage of SAS is that it is backward compatible with Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) buses, which renders the possibility of hybrid cable connector assemblies suited to both SAS and SATA drives. With the successful employment of cable assemblies, the need also arises to provide continued target-drive access to multiple hosts. This renders dual-port target drives necessary, as availability and redundancy is increased. The redundancy also increases the fault tolerance of a computer system employing a dual-port connector assembly.
SAS and SATA connectors differ only in that SATA connectors offer only one physical-link (signal-link) connection while SAS may offer two. Therefore, both the SAS and SATA connectors look similar, expect that in the SAS connector the power-link and physical-link portions are separated by an interface that may accommodate a secondary physical-link. Thus, SAS connectors offer the possibility of two-port connections in the same connector, and are backward compatible with SATA connectors.